"What would happen if I tossed up this stone about one meter high," Hartley asked.
Zhi Ruo rolled her eyes. "It would fall to the ground" she confidently stated.
"Are you sure?" Hartley had a mocking smile.
"Of course, What's going on Hartley? you brought me all the way out here to ask if a stone would fall to the ground?"
It was a sunny but windy day and Hartley had carried Ruo deep into the trees where there some open space. After a few successful fierce beast hunts Hartley decided that she was ready to strengthen her body.
Hartley walked over and kissed her on the lips and said "watch".
He took a step back and let go of the stone in his right hand, the stone then slowly floated upwards and stopped.
"Holy Matriarch, How?" Zhi Ruo had her mouth wide open . Hartley laughed and the stone fell back into his hand.
"You are the first and only person I have showed my powers outside of battle Ruo" said Hartley.
Ruo was still mouthing the word "How" with an incredulous look on her face.
"Its only gravity Ruo, I can control it within a certain range, and I want you to train your body with gravity weighing you down. It will make you improve your techniques in a very short amount of time."
Ruo said nothing and just stood there looking at Hartley in amazement
"Ruo I think techniques and application of techniques are more important than realms, the person at a higher realm has more power but if that person can't land a hit with that power it is useless."
As Hartley started to lecture, Zhi Ruo was paying rapt attention with fascination apparent on her face.
"The bandit leader we encountered four days back was a 3rd layer xiantian and Qin Li is only a 2nd layer xiantian and yet the bandit leader was wounded almost losing an arm and resorted to fleeing in panic for his life. Sometimes combat is not about who is stronger, but more about who is smarter, more creative and more prepared."
Zhi Ruo let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in. There was silence for a short while
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"What should I do?" she then asked.
Hartley smiled, "just practice your basic strikes for an hour every day with me."
With an excited face she retrieved her black daggers and replied "OK." Hartley smiled and nodded his head. He applied a 5x gravity field around himself and Ruo, her petite body wobbled and then she steadied herself, with her legs slightly shaking she looked at Hartley for instructions.
He said concentrate on precision and speed the power will come later on. Hartley then nodded his head and said "begin."
Ruo began her practice for the day, her strikes under the influence of the gravity field looked almost in slow motion. After half an hour, she was pooling in sweat, all her strikes started to look labored and raggedy and all her movements had a slight tremble to them, Hartley released the gravity field.
"That's enough for today," sweat was streaking down face and crashing to the floor, Zhi Ruo's eyes looked a bit glazed, she had visibly expended all her strength, looking as if she could slump to the floor any minute.
Hartley went over and picked her up, as he looked down at her in his arms he smiled, "don't worry you'll get used to it soon, don't give up" she rested her head on his chest breathing unsteadily.
Blue lightning-like sparks cascaded around Hartley's legs as he blinked away in an instant leaving an after image of him holding Ruo.
The carriage was now only two days away from Pembroke province, the road was beginning to get more lively, there was now people passing by more regularly, farmers with open wagons loaded with goods were now seen going up and down the main road, there were more pedestrians and people riding horses.
Even though they were so close Hartley didn't rush, they took their time and got in more training, Almost nightly Hartley would accompany Zhi Ruo to hunt fierce beasts and followed a rigid routine of cultivating in the day.
Qin Li had been seeing less and less of Hartley as the couple made their excursions into the trees, he used the time to cultivate and waited patiently, the fact that he was driving the carriage had robbed him of precious cultivation time so he didn't mind getting a chance to catch up and improve his own strength.
Hartley had revealed one of his secrets to Ruo, even though he liked Qin Li, he didn't trust him fully yet so he had skirted around Qin Li questions, acting like he also was trying to figure out what happened to the bandits.
Qin wasn't stupid, he could tell what Hartley was doing so he backed off and didn't asked any more questions for the time being. The next three days sped by as Hartley and Ruo kept to their rigid training routine.....
The rattling sounds of the carriage wheels against the cobble stone road rang out in the dull sunshine of the late Autumn evening as it moved forward approaching the gates of a new province.
Hartley and company had finally made it into the Pembroke province, they arrived at the southern gate earlier, there was a long chaotic line of people waiting to enter the province with provisions of all sorts ready to be sold and bought.
They had another lucky break as again they were fast tracked to the front and allowed to enter after paying the entrance fee for nobles.
Hartley didn't mind people assuming they were nobles even though it was a bit shameless, it was also less of a hassle.
The atmosphere in this province felt tense from the minute they entered, everything was muted and even though there were lots of people minding their business and milling about. There was a hush in the air.